Iowa football: Kinnick Stadium not considered tough for opponents
By Andrew Wade
The Iowa football team was again disrespected when college football’s toughest stadiums were ranked and Kinnick wasn’t even close to making the list.
It’s always shocking to me when people fail to realize how difficult of a place Kinnick Stadium is to play in. The Iowa football team is wildly successful in Kinnick, and any ranked team should be on high alert when coming to Iowa City to play the Hawkeyes.
Just ask the 2017 Ohio State Buckeyes. The third-ranked Buckeyes walked into Kinnick Stadium, and they got absolutely spanked 55-24. That same season against fourth-ranked Penn State, the Hawks were seconds away from pulling off another improbable upset at night in Kinnick Stadium. Saqoun Barkley’s amazing abilities were ultimately too much for them.
In 2016, the second-ranked ranked Michigan Wolverines walked into Kinnick with an undefeated season on the line and an opportunity for a College Football Playoff birth. A 33-yard old field goal by Keith Duncan put Jim Harbaugh’s team away though.
These things aren’t just coincidence. This is because Kinnick Stadium is incredibly tough.
So when this article was written without any mention of Kinnick Stadium as a top-10 toughest place to play let alone as an honorable mention afterthought, I was a little upset.
Per the course with this offseason, Nebraska sure got some love despite going 4-8 last season and having 12 losses in the last 4 seasons at home.
The article did mention that this article is focused on toughest places to play in 2019, but even then, how do you not include the Iowa football team and Kinnick Stadium. The Iowa football team may be flying slightly under the radar but they have the makings of a sleeper College Football Playoff team and Kinnick is regularly regarded as having one of the best atmospheres in the country.
Heck, even opposing teams think Kinnick Stadium is amazing.
Next. 30 greatest Hawkeyes of all-time. dark
As is the case often with the Iowa football team, they’ll just have to prove some of these folks wrong, again.